Sonthaya Kalasin [ Grade A Guy ] CD[EM1156CD]

Sonthaya Kalasin was the male lead singer in in the molam section of legendary producer/impresario Surin Phaksiri's beloved musical troupe Thidso Lam Phloen; his female counterpart was Phairin Phonphibun (EM1147CD/LP). These recordings, the very best of Kalasin's work with Phaksiri, cover the period from the mid-70s to the early 80s and showcase Kalasin's mastery of the traditional male molam lower vocal range. Also highlighted here are Phaksiri's production skills and his penchant for pushing the boundaries of standard molam arrangements and instrumentation, always trying to fuse new ideas with tradition. An uncredited Phairin Phonphibun makes an appearance on a few tracks here, giving lucky listeners a glimpse of the singers' Thidso Lam Phloen dynamism: Phaksiri's genius, a long-standing backing band, and simpatico vocal styles honed in the crucible of performance. This is the first CD release of any music from Sonthaya's years with Surin Phaksiri and as such represent a valuable document, with accompanying English lyric translations; but more than a document, "Grade A Guy" is grade A music.